Clematis Plant Named &#39;Evipo077&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Clematis  plant with a compact growth habit, profuse, light pink flowers, and continuous summer flowering. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for cultivation in commercial nursery culture. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation from vegetative cuttings.

Botanical classification: Genus: Clematis. Species: viticella.

Variety denomination: ‘Evipo077’.

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED PLANT

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of Clematis plant which originated from a controlled crossing between the female seed parent, an unnamed seedling, and the male pollen parent, an un-named seedling. Both parent varieties are non-patented.

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 2002 and the resulting seeds were planted the following winter in a controlled environment in Guernsey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom. The new variety named ‘Evipo077’ originated as a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new clematis plant may be distinguished from its female seed parent and male pollen parent by the following characteristics. The female seed parent has flowers which are 100 mm in diameter, while the new variety has flowers which are 170 mm in diameter. The male seed parent has violet tepals while the new variety has light pink tepals.

The objective of the hybridization of this clematis plant was to create a new and distinct variety for nursery culture with unique qualities such as:

-   -   1. Uniform and abundant light pink flowers;     -   2. Vigorous and compact growth, making the variety suitable for         container culture; and     -   3. Improved disease resistance.

This combination of qualities was lacking in clematis plants that were in commercial cultivation and the qualities have been substantially achieved in the new variety.

‘Evipo077’ was selected by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in their clematis development program in the Channel Islands, United Kingdom in 2003. Asexual reproduction of ‘Evipo077’ by means of vegetative cuttings and traditional layering was first performed by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in the nursery during the summer of 2003. This initial and subsequent asexual propagations have demonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Evipo077’ are true to type and are transmitted from one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustrations show as true as is reasonably possible to obtain in color photographs of this type the typical characteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Evipo077’.

Specifically illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings is an open flower above view, tepals detached, reproductive flower parts, and an unopened flower bud.

Specifically illustrated in FIG. 2 is a flowering branch with leaves removed, showing attachment of peduncles, pedicels, and flower buds.

Specifically illustrated in FIG. 3 are leaves, bare stem, and flower buds at various stages of development. Plants shown are 2 years of age.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of ‘Evipo077’, as observed in its growth throughout the flowering period in Marion County Oreg. Observed plants were cultivated for a period of 24 months in 2 liter containers. Certain phenotypical characteristics of the variety may vary under different environmental, cultural, agronomic, seasonal, and climatic conditions. Color references are made using The Royal Horticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 2001, except where common terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the clematis variety ‘Evipo041’ described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No. __,___,___ are compared to ‘Evipo077’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ′Evipo077′ ‘Evipo041′ Flower diameter 170 mm 110 to 160 mm Tepal upper Purple Group 75A Purple Group 76B with a surface upon and with a central bar central bar that is Purple after opening Red-Purple Group Group N79C 72D Tepal count 6 6

-   Flower and flower bud:     -   -   Blooming habit.—Recurrent. The natural flowering period is             generally from May to September.         -   Flower bud.—Size: Normally 50 mm in length. Bud diameter is             18 mm. Bud form: Elliptic with a broad base. Bud color: At ¼             opening Greyed-Purple Group 183D. Texture: Pubescent.         -   Receptacle.—Surface Texture: Lightly pubescent. Shape: Broad             funnel. Size: 2 mm (h)×2 mm (w). Color: Yellow-Green Group             144A.         -   Pedicel.—Surface Texture: Smooth. Length: On average 45 mm             in length with 3 mm diameter. Color: Yellow-Green Group and             Greyed-Orange Group 175A. Strength: Moderately strong.         -   Peduncle.—Surface Texture: Smooth. Length: 8 to 10 cm with 3             mm diameter. Color: Yellow-Green Group and Greyed-Orange             Group 175A.         -   Flower arrangement.—Location on vine: New and old growth.             Borne: Normally in clusters of 3 flowers and singly.         -   Flower bloom.—Size: On average, flowers are 170 mm in             diameter and 35 mm in depth. Profile: Open flowers are flat.             Fragrance: None. Lasting Quality: Flowers normally remain up             to 10 days on the plant.         -   Tepals.—Tepal Color: Upon opening, the upper surface is             Purple Group 75A with a central bar Red-Purple Group 72D.             The lower surface is Purple Group 75A with central bar             Greyed-Purple Group 184D. After opening, the upper surface             is the upper surface is Purple Group 75A with a central bar             of Red-Purple Group 72D. The lower surface is Purple Group             75A with central bar of Greyed-Purple Group 184D. Quantity:             Normally 6 tepals. Size: 80 mm in length by 45 mm wide.             Shape: Individual tepal shape is elliptic. The tepal apex is             acute. The tepal base is acute. Apex Recurvature: None.             Tepal Cross section: Slightly reflexed. Margins: Medium             undulations of margin observed. Persistence: Tepals drop off             cleanly.         -   Reproductive organs.—Arrangement: Open, 40 mm in diameter.             Pollen: None observed. Anthers: Size: 6 mm in length. Color:             Greyed-Orange Group 164B. Quantity: On average, 35.             Filaments: Color: Yellow-White Group 158B. Length: 10 mm.             Pistils: Quantity: On average, 20. Stigmas: Level in             location relative to the length of the filaments and the             height of the anthers. Styles: Color: Green-White Group             Length: 12 mm. -   Plant:     -   -   Plant form.—Climbing.         -   Plant growth.—Moderately vigorous.         -   Size.—Seasons growth attains 100 to 150 cm in height.             Average spread is 50 cm.         -   Stems.—Color: Juvenile stems are Yellow-Green Group 144A.             Mature stems are Greyed-Red Group 181A. Internodes: On             average, 75 mm between nodes. Length: Normally 50 cm from             the base of the plant to the flowering portion of the stem.             Diameter: Normally 4. Texture: Mature stems are generally             ribbed.         -   Plant foliage.—Leaf characteristics: Deciduous. Arrangement:             Tri-ternate. Leaf Size: Compound leaves are normally 170 mm             (l)×120 mm (w). Leaflets are normally 50 mm (l)×20 mm (w).             Abundance: About one leaf per 10 cm of stem. Leaf Color:             Juvenile upper Yellow-Green Group 144A. Juvenile lower             Yellow-Green Group 144A. Mature upper Yellow-Green Group             147A. Mature lower Yellow-Green Group 146A. Stipules:             Absent. Petioles: Size: Normally 90 mm in length by 2 mm             diameter. Texture: Smooth. Color: Greyed-Purple Group 187A.             Petioloule: Size: Normally 60 mm in length by 2 mm diameter.             Texture: Smooth. Color: Greyed-Purple Group 187A. Leaflet             Shape: Generally elliptic. The base is rounded. The apex is             acute. Margin: Entire. Surface: The upper side is smooth.             The lower side is smooth. Thickness: Average. Glossiness:             Moderately glossy.         -   Disease resistance.—Subject to any disease that normally             attacks the species. However the variety is more tolerant to             clematis wilt, Ascochyta clematidina, than some clematis             known to the inventors.         -   Cold hardiness.—The variety is tolerant to USDA Hardiness             Zone 6.         -   Heat tolerance.—The variety has been found to be suitable             for climate conditions found in the American Horticulture             Society heat zone 7. 

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of clematis plant named ‘Evipo077’, substantially as described and illustrated, due to its abundant light pink flowers with good keepability, attractive long lasting foliage and compact growth, year round flowering under glasshouse conditions, suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots, durable flowers and foliage which make the variety suitable for distribution in the floral industry. 